1. Technical Field of Invention
The embodiments herein generally relate to an electricity generation system and particularly relate to a system for electricity generation by utilizing flared gas. The embodiments herein more particularly relate to a readily transportable system installed at a gas station as well as sites of combustible gas leakage and using a leaking gas to generate an electrical or mechanical energy.
2. Description of Related Art
A gas flare, alternatively known as a flare stack, is a gas combustion device used in industrial plants such as petroleum refineries, chemical plants, natural gas processing plants as well as at oil or gas production sites having oil wells, gas wells, offshore oil and gas rigs and landfills. In industrial plants, flare stacks are primarily used for burning off flammable gas released by pressure relief valves during unplanned over-pressuring of plant equipment. During plant or partial plant startups and shutdowns, flare stacks are also often used for the planned combustion of gases over relatively short periods.
An engine-generator is the combination of an electrical generator and an engine (prime mover) mounted together to form a single piece of equipment. This combination is also called an engine-generator set or a gen-set. In many contexts, the engine is taken for granted and the combined unit is simply called a generator. The engine-generators are available in a wide range of power ratings. These include small, hand-portable units that can supply several hundred watts of power, hand-cart mounted units, as pictured below, that can supply several thousand watts and stationary or trailer-mounted units that can supply over a million watts. Regardless of the size, generators may run on gasoline, diesel, natural gas, propane, bio-diesel, water, sewage gas or hydrogen. Most of the smaller units are built to use gasoline (petrol) as a fuel, and the larger ones have various fuel types, including diesel, natural gas and propane (liquid or gas). Some engines may also operate on diesel and gas simultaneously (bi-fuel operation).
One of the prior arts discloses a wellhead gas recovery system and method for the generation of power from wellhead gas. A gas conduit is used to direct wellhead gas from a wellhead casing or wellhead bore to a Stirling engine where the wellhead gas is used as the fuel source for the Stirling engine. The wellhead gas is ignited and the burning wellhead gas is used as the heat source for the Stirling engine. The thermal energy from the burning wellhead gas is transferred into motion by the Stirling engine and the output of the Stirling engine can be used to drive devices at the wellsite, to generate electricity or other use.
Another prior art discloses systems and methods for recovering energy from flare gases in chemical plants and refineries. The method for recovering energy comprises diverting at least a portion of a flare gas from a flare header to form a diverted flare gas. The flare header is fluidically coupled between a process vessel and a flare in a chemical plant, a refinery, or a combined plant; combusting the diverted flare gas in a power generation system to generate power. The system for recovering energy from a flare gas, comprises a flare system comprising a flare and a flare header, a power generation system configured to burn the flare gas, and to produce power, a conduit configured to transfer at least a portion of the flare gas from the flare header to the power generation system. The flare header fluidically couples the flare to a process vessel in a chemical plant, a refinery, or a combination thereof.
Yet another prior art discloses a microturbine power generating system comprising a turbine for converting gaseous heat energy into mechanical energy, a power converter for converting the mechanical energy produced by the turbine into electrical energy and a single tieshaft having a diameter of less than about one-half inch, the tieshaft connecting the turbine and the rotating portion of the power converter. The power converter having a rotating portion and a non-rotating portion. During operation of the microturbine power generating system, said tieshaft, turbine and rotating portion of the power converter rotate in unison at speeds of at least about 60,000 rpm. The microturbine power generating system further comprises a combustor for producing gaseous heat energy by igniting an air and fuel mixture, a fuel supply for supplying fuel to the combustor and a compressor for compressing intake air and supplying the compressed air to the combustor. The compressor being coupled to the tieshaft. During operation of the microturbine power generating system, rotating in unison with said tieshaft, turbine and rotating portion of the power converter. The fuel is selected from the group consisting of diesel, flare gas, off gas, gasoline, naphtha, propane, JP-8, methane, and natural gas.
The flare gas leaks at a plurality of places in a plurality of spots at an oil well site as well as a plurality of other sites. The prior arts get limited in providing a portable apparatus and system for tapping the flare gases on a plurality of spots and utilize it for generation of electricity. Also few prior arts intend to utilize the flare gases for electricity generation but are limited to specific power output due to which the untapped electricity remains unused and hence, the prior arts allow an energy dissipation which reduces an overall efficiency of a system.
In the view of foregoing, there is a need for a system for collecting a flare gas and generate an electricity in real time. Also there is a need for a system to facilitate a secondary usage of the electrical power generated. Further there is a need for a system with portable assembly to enhance mobility and implement the same system on a plurality of sites.
The above mentioned shortcomings, disadvantages and problems are addressed herein, as detailed below.